Nathan W. Moon

Director of Research

Member Of:
  • Center for Advanced Communications Policy
  • School of Public Policy
Fax Number:404-385-0269
Office Location: IPST 314
Related Links:
Email Address: nathan.moon@gatech.edu

Overview

Nathan W. Moon, PhD, is a Principal Research Scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and he serves as Director of Research of the Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) at Georgia Tech. His research focuses on increasing access to education and employment for people with disabilities, with specializations in the accessibility of information and communications technologies (ICTs), workplace accommodations and employment policy, broadening participation in STEM education, and program evaluation.

To date, he has been the PI or co-PI of 13 projects totaling $5.12 million in external funding. Additionally, he has been project director or task leader on nine other projects and been a co-investigator for three additional projects. In addition to the projects he has led, he has contributed significantly to a total of $16.1 million in sponsored research funding at Georgia, for a total of over $20 million in funding at Georgia Tech.

Notable projects have included the nine-year, NSF-funded Georgia STEM Accessibility Alliance (GSAA) to broaden the participation of secondary and postsecondary students with disabilities in STEM education through the provision of electronic mentoring via virtual worlds. He also has led research and evaluation projects in support of the University System of Georgia (USG) STEM Initiative to improve postsecondary attainment within the State of Georgia.

Dr. Moon also is the Principal Investigator for a Field Initiated Project on the Contingent Employment of People with Disabilities (FIP-CE). This three-year research project is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). FIP-CE investigates the participation of individuals with disabilities in contingent employment arrangements, including jobs obtained through web-based or app-based platforms associated with the nascent “gig economy" associated with services such as Uber, Lyft, and Handy. Moon also serves as Project Director for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC), where he leads the RERC's Survey of User Needs and research on the sociocultural design factors for next generation wireless technologies.

Dr. Moon as a strong record of scholarly research during his 12 years as a faculty member at Georgia Tech, with a particular emphasis on applied and empirical research to inform both practice and policymaking. He has authored or co-authored 30 peer-reviewed publications, including two books, with over 780 citations in the scholarly literature. Additionally, Moon has delivered over 30 refereed conference presentations on the subject of accessibility and disability, and he has given nearly 20 invited talks to diverse audiences.

Dr. Moon truly measures his success by how he has made the world a better place. He strives to use research to influence practice and service delivery. In this vein, he led a team that produced Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), an NSF-funded handbook on accessibility research to inform classroom and laboratory practice. Over 2,000 copies of this publication have been distributed free to the public, and it has been cited nearly 130 times in the literature.  The impact of the publication resulted in national recognition for Dr. Moon, culminating in an invitation from the National Academies’ Board on Science Education and Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) to present on best practices to broaden participation of people with disabilities within STEM education and the STEM workforce.

Dr. Moon received his PhD in the history and sociology of science and technology from Georgia Tech in 2009. In addition to his research on disability and technology policy, he undertook a historical study of psychostimulant drugs, namely amphetamines and Ritalin, to understand their medical applications and extramedical consumption in postwar America.

Education:
  • Ph.D. in History and Sociology of Technology and Science (Georgia Tech, 2009)
  • M.S. in History and Sociology of Technology and Science (Georgia Tech, 2006)
  • M.A. in History (Georgia College & State University, 2002)
  • B.A. in History (Georgia College & State University, 2002)
Awards and
Distinctions:
  • RESNA "Rookie" Award, 2013
  • Homer Rice Award, 2009

Interests

Research Fields:
  • History of Technology/Engineering and Society
  • Information and Communications Technology Policy
  • Program Evaluation, Public Management and Administration
  • S&E Organizations, Education, Careers and Workforce
  • Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
  • U.S. Society and Politics/Policy Perspectives
Geographic
Focuses:
  • Europe
  • United States
Issues:
  • Health
  • Accessibility
  • Autism
  • Disability
  • Emerging Technologies - Innovation
  • Science and Engineering Workforces

Courses

  • HTS-2013: Modern America

Publications

Recent Publications

Journal Articles

  • Exploring the Smart Future of Participation: Community, Inclusivity, and People With Disabilities
    In: International Journal of E-Planning Research [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2021

    COVID-19 is having an enormous impact on civic life, including public services, governance, and the well-being of citizens. The pace and scope of technology as a force for problem solving, connecting people, sharing information, and organizing civic life has increased in the wake of COVID-19. This article critically reviews how technology use influences the civic engagement potential of the smart city, in particular for people with disabilities. The article aims to articulate new challenges to virtual participation in civic life in terms of accessibility, usability, and equity. Next, the article proposes a framework for a smart participation future involving smarter communities that utilize universal design, blended bottom-up, and virtual community of practice (VCoP) approaches to planning and connecting citizens with disabilities to smart cities. Policy and ethical implications of the proposed smart participation future are considered.

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  • Wireless Device Use by Individuals with Disabilities: Findings from a National Survey
    In: Journal on Technology & Persons with Disabilities [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: June 2020

    We present findings from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC) Survey of User Needs (SUN) for 2017-2018. The Wireless RERC has surveyed wireless technology adoption and use among individuals with disabilities since 2002, and this article presents findings from the sixth iteration of the SUN. Broadly, it continues to find growing rates of adoption of smartphone technologies among people with disabilities relative to the general population. With an increase of smartphone use among individuals with disabilities from 54% in 2012-2013 and 71% in 2015-2016, to 88% in 2017-2018, our findings suggest further narrowing of the digital "disability divide." SUN respondents generally indicated that their devices were easy to use. Regarding device satisfaction, over three-fourths of smartphone users indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their smartphones. Relatively less established, newer features such as real-time-text and intelligent personal assistants have yet to be widely adopted. However, the higher-than-average use of real-time-text among individuals who reported deafness or difficulty hearing suggests this features' potential for increasing usability and accessibility of these devices, specifically, and communications, in general. For this version, we added new questions on the adoption and use of next-generation wireless devices, as part of a growing trend toward Internet of Things (IoT)-based "smart homes."

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Presentations

All Publications

Books

Journal Articles

  • Exploring the Smart Future of Participation: Community, Inclusivity, and People With Disabilities
    In: International Journal of E-Planning Research [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2021

    COVID-19 is having an enormous impact on civic life, including public services, governance, and the well-being of citizens. The pace and scope of technology as a force for problem solving, connecting people, sharing information, and organizing civic life has increased in the wake of COVID-19. This article critically reviews how technology use influences the civic engagement potential of the smart city, in particular for people with disabilities. The article aims to articulate new challenges to virtual participation in civic life in terms of accessibility, usability, and equity. Next, the article proposes a framework for a smart participation future involving smarter communities that utilize universal design, blended bottom-up, and virtual community of practice (VCoP) approaches to planning and connecting citizens with disabilities to smart cities. Policy and ethical implications of the proposed smart participation future are considered.

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  • Wireless Device Use by Individuals with Disabilities: Findings from a National Survey
    In: Journal on Technology & Persons with Disabilities [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: June 2020

    We present findings from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC) Survey of User Needs (SUN) for 2017-2018. The Wireless RERC has surveyed wireless technology adoption and use among individuals with disabilities since 2002, and this article presents findings from the sixth iteration of the SUN. Broadly, it continues to find growing rates of adoption of smartphone technologies among people with disabilities relative to the general population. With an increase of smartphone use among individuals with disabilities from 54% in 2012-2013 and 71% in 2015-2016, to 88% in 2017-2018, our findings suggest further narrowing of the digital "disability divide." SUN respondents generally indicated that their devices were easy to use. Regarding device satisfaction, over three-fourths of smartphone users indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their smartphones. Relatively less established, newer features such as real-time-text and intelligent personal assistants have yet to be widely adopted. However, the higher-than-average use of real-time-text among individuals who reported deafness or difficulty hearing suggests this features' potential for increasing usability and accessibility of these devices, specifically, and communications, in general. For this version, we added new questions on the adoption and use of next-generation wireless devices, as part of a growing trend toward Internet of Things (IoT)-based "smart homes."

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  • Designing wearable technologies for users with disabilities: Accessibility, usability, and connectivity factors
    In: Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: August 2019

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  • Virtual Mentoring and Persistence in STEM for Students with Disabilities
    In: Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2017

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of virtual mentoring for enhancing the persistence of secondary and postsecondary students with disabilities engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. The student participants (N = 189) were all engaged in STEM coursework and enrolled in a virtual-mentoring program for a span of 4 years. Persistence was measured with an online survey designed to evaluate growth across self-determination, self-advocacy, STEM aspirations, and self-efficacy (math and science). After participating in virtual-mentoring practices, the most significant improvement was demonstrated in students’ perception of self-determination and self-advocacy. Growth differences were identified across type of disability and race/ethnicity populations. Implications pertaining to STEM aspirations and self-efficacy were addressed.

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  • E-Mentoring and Its Relevance for Competency-Based Education for Students with disabilities: Research from the GSAA BreakThru Model
    In: Journal of Competency-Based Education [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2016

    This article provides an overview of the project and results to date. It provides a brief summary on the status and use of virtual worlds in STEM education, as well as present an overview of the GSAA BreakThru goals, theory of change, participant demographics, research results of project efficacy and patterns of communication in mentoring activities. Discussion and conclusions will highlight the possible impact of the research on technologies for mentoring in new learning models, particularly competency‐based education (CBE).

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  • STEM E-Mentoring and Community College Students with Disabilities
    In: Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2016

    This article reports the findings from a qualitative study to understand the provision of electronic mentoring (e-mentoring) to support the educational persistence of students with disabilities at a two-year college in a large city in the U.S. South. Building upon a five-year project at three postsecondary institutions and three secondary school systems, this article presents the results from interviews with selected participants, which were analyzed using a qualitative case study design. Three aspects of a STEM e-mentoring program were examined: (1) the use of virtual environments and social media settings; (2) the development of e-mentoring relationships; and (3) the examination of persistence constructs. Eight participants were recruited for the study representing individuals with disabilities, non-traditional age students, and individuals from minority populations. Four critical findings were observed: (1) virtual environments and social media tool usage varied depending on context, accessibility, and practical considerations; (2) STEM learning and emotional supports were enhanced when embedded in the practice of e-mentoring; and (3) five persistence constructs (intention to persist, self-determination, self-advocacy, science affect, and math affect) informed STEM outcomes for community college students with disabilities.

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  • Determining the Efficacy of Communications Technologies and Practices to Broaden Participation in Education: Insights from a Theory of Change
    In: Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction, 2015, Part III, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 9177. [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2015

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  • Leveraging Virtual Worlds for Electronic Mentoring
    In: Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction, 2015, Part III, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 9177 [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2015

    The Georgia STEM Accessibility Alliance’s BreakThru electronic mentoring program responds to a National Science Foundation request for research on virtual worlds to support outcomes for students with disabilities. It also addresses student advancement through critical junctures to STEM careers, particularly from secondary to post-secondary education, and from the undergraduate to graduate level. BreakThru has developed from an exploration of technology platforms into a full-fledged mentoring program that currently enrolls 85 students and 38 mentors. The overall aim of BreakThru is to increase the persistence in STEM of students with disabilities who are enrolled in the program. Toward this end, efficacy is measured in part through enrollment and retention of secondary and postsecondary students with disabilities into virtual mentoring. BreakThru is unique among mentoring programs due to its use of the virtual world Second Life to support or implement most project activities.

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  • Disability Issues and Planning Education: Findings from a Longitudinal Survey of Planning Programs and Lessons for Urban e-planning.
    In: International Journal of E-Planning Research [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2014

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  • Telework Rationale and Implementation for People with Disabilities: Considerations for Employer Policymaking
    In: WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2014

    BACKGROUND: Telework has been promoted as a viable workplace accommodation for people with disabilities since the 1990s, when information and communication technologies (ICT) had developed sufficiently to facilitate its widespread adoption. This initial research and accompanying policy recommendations were prescriptive in nature and frequently aimed at employers. OBJECTIVE: This article adds to existing policy models for facilitating successful telework outcomes for people with disabilities. Drawing upon two studies by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Workplace Accommodations, we expound on employee-side considerations in the implementation of telework. METHODS: Our policy model utilizes established typologies for policy evaluation to develop a process model that considers rationales and implementation factors for telework among people with physical disabilities. RESULTS: Telework may be used as an accommodation for disability, but employee rationales for telework are more complex, involving work-life balance, strategies for pain and fatigue not formally recognized as disability, and expediency in travel and transportation. Implementation of telework as a component of workplace operations is similarly multifaceted, involving non-technology accommodations to realize job restructuring left incomplete by telework. CONCLUSIONS: Our model grounds new empirical research in this area. We also renew our call for additional research on effective telework practices for people with disabilities. © 2014-IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.

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  • Communities of Participation: A Comparison of Disability and Aging Identified Groups on Facebook and LinkedIn
    In: Telematics and Informatics [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: February 2013

    Communication-oriented Internet technologies and activities such as social media sites and blogs, have become an important component of community and employment participation, not just in the specific function of activities, but as a link to larger communities of practice and professional connections. The occurrence of these activities, evident in their presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and other online communities, represents an important opportunity to reframe and re-conceptualize manifestation of communities especially those in which distributed networks and communities substitute for geographic proximity, offering new opportunities for engagement, especially those who might be functionally limited in terms of mobility. For people with disabilities, as well as the aging, increasingly interacting online, the readiness of social networking sites to accommodate their desire to participate in conjunction with their readiness as users to maximize the potential of platform interfaces and architecture, are critical to achieving the medium's potential for enhancing community and employment benefits. This essay explores representation/presence of disability and aging using as frames, Facebook and LinkedIn groups. Target identity/member groups on Facebook and LinkedIn were cataloged to explore the presence and representation of disability and aging identities in a socially networked setting. The groups for this study were identified using the search feature designed into the platform architecture, which allow a user to search on specifically designated entities or keywords. Findings suggest that from a policy perspective, institutions need to be cognizant of population characteristics as well as platform opportunities implementing advocacy and relevant support services for people with disabilities and older adults to full ensure engagement and participation. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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  • Functioning, Capability and Freedom: A Framework for Understanding Workplace Disabilities
    In: Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: March 2012

    Work-related disability issues have been central in many of the U. S. public policy debates since the late 1970s and early 1980s. Although there is a robust business, legal, and public policy literature dealing with such issues philosophical analyses are not common. Accordingly, the paper examines, from a broadly philosophical perspective, some of the issues associated with restricted workplace employment opportunities due to the presence of one or more real or perceived disabilities. Following a review of the concept of disability, the paper examines disabilities and impairments using the concepts of functionings and capabilities developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. The paper then connects the capabilities approach to disabilities with the concepts of negative and positive freedom developed by Isaiah Berlin. The paper concludes by suggesting how to address employment and workplace discriminations of disabled people. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

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  • Assessing Stakeholder Perceptions of Workplace Accommodations Barriers: Results From a Policy Research Instrument
    In: Journal of Disability Policy Studies [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: February 2012

    This article presents the findings from research to identify key barriers and opportunities in the provision of workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities in the United States. Using the policy Delphi method, a multiround, iterative polling technique used to assess key stakeholder perceptions, the study probed on five areas: awareness, policy/regulatory, economic, technology, and social. For each of these areas, the Delphi panel was asked to comment on the reliability of forecasts, importance of issues, desirability of goals, and finally, the feasibility of policy options. The Delphi study concluded with a set of 22 policy options to address barriers to the provision of workplace accommodations. Many of these options take a collaborative approach, but they emphasize involvement of federal agencies such as the Office of Disability Employment Policy in the U.S. Department of Labor and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Task Force of the U.S. Department of Justice. © 2012 Hammill Institute on Disabilities.

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  • Impact of Faculty Development on Classroom Accessibility as Measured Using a Classroom Observation Instrument
    In: Journal of International Process Education [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2012

    This paper builds on previous work describing more general issues regarding the efficacy of faculty in creating productive learning environments. Specifically, this new research explores how faculty who are exposed to principles of universal design for learning (UDL) in STEM courses change their observable behaviors in the classroom over time. Through persistent, targeted, personalized attention, these faculty gained experience and expertise in addressing the learning needs of all students, and in particular those with disabilities. We first very briefly highlight some of the main features of SciTrain University, including workshops and web course-modules used for faculty development. Then, we discuss the impact this development has produced in the classroom for a set of 18 longitudinal faculty participants as seen through the lens of a classroom observation instrument developed to assess classroom accessibility and inclusion for learners. Results indicate that accessibility scores increase, on average, about 5-7% per year. We then conclude by offering some recommendations for process educators, based on our research findings, that address ways to improve performance in making one’s classrooms more accessible and inclusive.

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  • Where the Cathedrals and Bazaars Are: An Index of Open Source Software Activity and Potential
    In: Journal of Information Technology and Politics [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: July 2011

    This article presents a framework to measure activity and potential for open source software development and use at a country level. The framework draws on interviews with experts in the open source software industry and numerous existing studies in the literature to identify relevant indicators. Several indices of diverse variable lists and weighting and aggregation methods were developed and tested for robustness. The results provide a first step toward more systematically understanding the current state of open source software internationally. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

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  • Issues in Workplace Accommodations for People with Disabilities
    In: Philosophy for Business [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: May 2011

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  • Evaluation of Programmatic Interventions to Improve Postsecondary STEM Education for Students with Disabilities: Findings from SciTrain University
    In: Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability
    Date: 2011

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  • Faculty Efficacy in Creating Productive Learning Environments: Universal Design and the Lens of Student with Disabilities
    In: International Journal of Process Education [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2011

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  • Policy Development and Access to Wireless Technologies for People with Disabilities: Results of Policy Delphi Research
    In: Universal Access in the Information Society (UAIS) [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: August 2010

    This paper discusses the relationship between policy research and policy change, and it provides examples of the policy research outcomes informed by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Mobile Wireless Technologies for People with Disabilities’ (Wireless RERC) policy research process. In 2005 and 2006, the center conducted empirical research, using the policy Delphi polling methodology, to probe key stakeholders’ opinions on the most significant issues surrounding the adoption and use of wireless communication and information technologies by people with disabilities. Drawing on the results of three rounds of polling, the Wireless RERC developed a set of policy options, and “fine-tuned” them using participating stakeholders from the disability community, wireless industry, and policymakers.

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  • Baby Boomers are Turning Grey: The Americans with Disabilities Act and Aging Americans
    In: Business Law Today
    Date: May 2010

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  • Ensuring the Enfranchisement of People with Disabilities
    In: Journal of Disability Policy Studies [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: September 2009

    In a representational democracy, the process of selecting people to represent the electorate is critical. To accomplish this goal, it is crucial that elections be fair and accurate reflections of the decisions of the voters. However, a significant and relatively unacknowledged constituency, people with disabilities, faces a variety of barriers to full participation in the U.S. electoral democracy. Recent research has provided evidence that how people with disabilities vote is just as important as the physical barriers they face when casting their votes. This article presents an overview of the literature addressing issues that affect how people with disabilities vote, with an especial focus on the role of election officials as both facilitators and inhibitors of voting by people with disabilities. © 2009 Hammill Institute on Disabilities.

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  • Wireless Technologies and Accessibility for People with Disabilities: Findings from a Policy Research Instrument
    In: Journal of Assistive Technology [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: September 2008

    The near universal deployment in the United States of a wide variety of information and communications technologies, both wired and wireless, creates potential barriers to use for several key populations, including the poor, people with disabilities, and the aging. Equal access to wireless technologies and services can be achieved through a variety of mechanisms, including legislation and regulations, market-based solutions, and awareness and outreach-based approaches. This article discusses the results of policy research conducted by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC) using policy Delphi polling methodology to probe stakeholders' opinions on key access barrier issues and to explore potential policy responses. Participants included disability advocates, disability/wireless technology policy makers, and product developers/manufacturers. Respondent input informed subsequent development of potential policy initiatives to increase access to these technologies. The findings from the Delphi suggest that awareness issues remain most important, especially manufacturer awareness of user needs and availability of consumer information for selecting the most appropriate wireless devices and services. Other key issues included the ability of people with disabilities to afford technologies and inadequacies in legislation and policy making for ensuring their general accessibility, as well as usefulness in emergencies. Technical issues, including interoperability, speech-to-text conversion, and hearing aid compatibility, were also identified by participating stakeholders as important. To address all these issues, Delphi respondents favored goals and options congruent with voluntary market-driven solutions where possible but also supported federal involvement, where necessary, to aid this process. © 2008 RESNA.

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  • Barriers to Evidence Based Practice in Accommodations for an Aging Workforce
    In: WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: December 2006

    According to a recent Government Accountability Office report, the number of workers over age 55 is projected to increase significantly over the next twenty years, with this demographic group projected to comprise as much as twenty percent of the workforce by 2015 [12]. Accommodating the functional limitations of a large number of older workers may prove challenging for employers; however, policies and practices shaped over the course of the next few decades could allow aging workers to remain a valuable part of the US economy. Given these considerations, it is useful from a public policy perspective to determine the degree to which employers are currently addressing the accommodation needs of older workers. This paper presents the results of a study that attempted to determine the extent to which a sample of Fortune 500 employers was currently accommodating older workers. The study's methodology (in particular, its use of semi-structured telephone interviews) is reevaluated and new options (such as anonymous online employer surveys) are considered for the valid and reliable collection of data on accommodations for older workers. © 2006 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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  • Virtual Exclusion and Telework: Barriers and Opportunities of Technocentric Workplace Accommodation Policy
    In: WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: December 2006

    Teleworking, a restructuring of the manner in which work occurs, based on information communication technologies (ICTs), is a promising way of further integrating people with disabilities into the workplace. In contrast to telecommuting, in which the work is primarily shifted in locale, telework is a restructuring of the tasks to be accomplished within the larger work setting which could result in "work" being done remotely, or collaboratively with coworkers (remotely or not) using ICTs. Drawing upon a review of the literature, this paper explores the relationship between telework and people with disabilities. While the advent of telecommuting and subsequently "teleworking" might open increased opportunities for the hiring of people with disabilities, it may also place severe constraints on the type of work, workplace environment and interactions, and accumulation of social capital for people with disabilities. Whereas much of the prevailing literature on telework and disability is often proscriptive in nature and is written with an audience of employers in mind, it is just as important to consider policy options from the standpoint of the employee as well. This paper proposes a number of policy approaches for the creation of an inclusive work environment for teleworkers with disabilities that can minimize, as much as possible, the social isolation faced by teleworkers with disabilities while maximizing their participation within the workplace community. Policy objectives for enhancing telework for people with disabilities fall into three general categories: 1) research, 2) outreach, and 3) interventions. © 2006 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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  • A Framework for Providing Telecommuting as a Reasonable Accommodation: Some Considerations on a Comparative Case Stud
    In: WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2006

    Telecommuting, whether full time, part time, or over short periods when the need arises, can be an important accommodation for employees with disabilities. Indeed, telecommuting may be the only form of accommodation that offers employees whose disabilities fluctuate a means to stay consistently and gainfully employed. This article describes one employer's experience in considering a request for telecommuting as a reasonable accommodation for a particular employee. Drawing on real-life examples, both positive and negative, this article provides a win/win framework for decision-making that can help employers evaluate the use of telecommuting as a possible accommodation and facilitates open and ongoing communication between employer and employee.

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Chapters

  • Teleworking and the "Disability Divide"
    In: Global Business: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications [Peer Reviewed]
    Date: 2011

    Much of the discourse on the digital divide focuses on issues of information disparity and accessibility, frequently in socioeconomic terms. This perspective overlooks an important aspect of the digital divide, the lack of access and missed opportunities faced by persons with disabilities, referred to here as the “disability divide.” Barriers to access and knowledgeable use of information and communication technology (ICT) represent more than simple exclusion from information to encompass social segregation and devaluation. At its most insidious, barriers to ICTs limit full community engagement in employment activities. This chapter examines the ramification of the impact of digital divide on the nature of employment and participation in the workplace, using ICT to conduct telework, and explores challenges to social policy with respect to ‘reasonable’ accommodations. In the absence of practices, structures, and policies targeting the distributive work environment, telework is much less likely to close the digital divide for persons with a disability. This suggests the need to explore and develop potential policy options to close the disability divide.

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  • Telework and the "Disability Divide"
    In: Handbook of Research on Overcoming Digital Divides: Constructing an Equitable and Competitive Information Society
    Date: December 2009

    Much of the discourse on the digital divide focuses on issues of information disparity and accessibility, frequently in socioeconomic terms. This perspective overlooks an important aspect of the digital divide, the lack of access and missed opportunities faced by persons with disabilities, referred to here as the "disability divide." Barriers to access and knowledgeable use of information and communication technology (ICT) represent more than simple exclusion from information to encompass social segregation and devaluation. At its most insidious, barriers to ICTs limit full community engagement in employment activities. This chapter examines the ramification of the impact of digital divide on the nature of employment and participation in the workplace, using ICT to conduct telework, and explores challenges to social policy with respect to 'reasonable' accommodations. In the absence of practices, structures, and policies targeting the distributive work environment, telework is much less likely to close the digital divide for persons with a disability. This suggests the need to explore and develop potential policy options to close the disability divide. © 2010, IGI Global.

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  • Accessibility in municipal wireless networks: system implementation and policy considerations.
    In: Strategies for Local E-Government Adoption and Implementation: Comparative Studies
    Date: 2009

    This chapter presents the results of an examination of the current state of U.S. municipal wireless network design and policies with regards to people with disabilities. A survey and comparative analysis was undertaken of a sample of 48 municipalities to ascertain, (1) the accessibility of municipal wireless networks, and (2) the impact of external policy instruments, in this case the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Civic Access (PCA), on network accessibility. Results suggest that the existence of external accessibility policy mechanisms, while positively associated with some sensitivity towards disadvantaged populations, does not seem to extend general awareness to individuals with disabilities. The authors conclude that although these cities have entered into accessibility compliance agreements, they are not necessarily going beyond the specific scope of the agreement, and they often overlook components of the “digital divide” within their communities.

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  • Access barriers to wireless technologies for people with disabilities: Issues, opportunities and policy options
    In: Designing Inclusive Futures
    Date: 2008

    While the adoption of wireless technologies in the United States continues to become increasingly widespread, significant issues of access to these technologies persist for people with disabilities. In the U.S., more than 51.2 million people, constituting about 18 percent of the population, have some kind of long-term condition or disability, signalling that barriers to the adoption of wireless technologies affect a substantial population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). Equal access to technology-related services and devices and wireless accessibility issues can be addressed by legislation and regulations, as well as options developed from disability and telecommunications policy and research.

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Conferences

Working Papers

  • State-Level Variations in Open Source Policies
    Date: 2009

    The open source software (OSS) model represents an alternative to traditional proprietary software usage. Yet relatively little is known about the conditions impacting policy related to OSS development, diffusion, and adoption. This paper explores the concept of a state-level open source index (SLOSI) to measure open source policy related initiatives at the state-level in the United States. One rationale for developing a SLOSI is to gauge how well a state's (political, economic, social, technological) environment relates to its OSS policies.

    This metric readily lends itself to evaluating the political, social, and economic aspects of adoption of the OSS approach. The SLOSI provides a heuristic and common set of "tools" to help assess how OSS-related conditions vary from state to state. Such a metric can be especially useful in this context where indicators can be elusive. By its nature, open source technology defies easy measurement. Nonetheless, a diverse and creative set of proxy measures are identified and tested for validity. The formulation of the index addresses the conceptual complexities surrounding OSS as a product, as a production process, and even as an ideology. The index construction follows from (1) a thorough literature review on OSS in society; (2) interviews with expert informants and policymakers; (3) extensive data search and then collection; and (4) various robustness checks and efforts to estimate missing data. Our construction, by relying heavily on the published literature and on input from a community of OSS experts, fosters an inclusive development process akin to the open source development process itself. The empirical analysis of SLOSI values compares readily to variation in statelevel OSS policy environments. The paper concludes with a discussion of the ways in which this new SLOSI can be used by those in the OSS industry, those researching OSS, and, potentially, by policymakers.

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Internet Publications

Presentations

Reports

  • Accessibility, Usability, and Social and Cultural Acceptance of Next-Generation Wireless Devices
    Date: December 2018

    A new research brief by CACP researchers Nathan W. Moon, Paul M.A. Baker, and Kenneth Goughnour, summarizes findings from focus groups which explored accessibility, social appropriateness, and cultural acceptability issues of wireless technology related use among individuals with disabilities. The research was conducted for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC). A total of 41 individuals with disabilities who use smartphones, wearables, and "smart home" devices participated in the study.

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  • Analysis of Accessibility Features on Mobile Phones
    Date: May 2018

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a statutory obligation to evaluate the impact of their regulations that implement the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA). Every two years the FCC submits a report to Congress on the state of industry compliance with the CVAA. In anticipation of the FCC's call for stakeholder input to inform their 2018 CVAA Biennial Report, the Wireless RERC conducted a 2017 Mobile Phone Accessibility Review (Accessibility Review/Review). Preliminary results of the review were submitted to the FCC[i] in response to the request for “input on the state of accessibility of “mobile” or wireless services, including basic phones and feature phones (collectively referred to herein as non-smartphones), as well as smartphones.”[ii] This report contains the full summary and comparative analyses.

    [i] Mitchell, H., LaForce, S., Moon, N., Baker, P.M.A., Garcia, A., & Jacobs, B. (2018, May 3). Comments submitted in response to the Public Notice in the Matter of The Accessibility of Communications Technologies for the 2018 Biennial Report Required by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act [CG Docket No. 10-213, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau]. Federal Communications Commission: Washington, D.C.

    [ii] Federal Communications Commission. (2018). FCC Invites Public Comment in the Preparation of Biennial Report to Congress. Retrieved from https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-340A1.pdf

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  • The Power of Digital Inclusion: Technology’s Impact on Employment and Opportunities for People with Disabilities,
    Date: October 2011

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  • Workplace Accommodations for People with Disabilities
    Date: February 2010

    The WorkRERC and CACP looking at policy aspects of developing workplace accommodations.

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  • Analysis of Responses to the ICDR’s Call for Recommendations on Emerging Disability Research Topics
    Date: December 2009

    Analysis of Responses to the ICDR’s 2009 Call for Recommendations on Emerging Disability Research Topics: The Central Role of Collaboration in Advancing a New Policy Agenda.

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  • State-Level Variations in Open Source Policies
    Date: 2009

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  • Collaborative Policy Networks: Coordinating Disability and Technology Policy
    Date: October 2008

    A newly issued working paper by CACP, in collaboration with the Wireless and Workplace Accommodations RERCs, addresses key factors and practices that can be used to develop a set of virtual interactive tools which support a community of practice focusing on disability and technology policy. It probes online contexts that can leverage the research, academic, and advocacy nodes of the disability community into effectual policy-making. It also provides a brief review of three distinct bodies of literature: policy networks, online social networking, and communities of practice.

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  • Open Source Software Study/Barrier and Opportunity Analysis
    Date: 2008

    Red Hat Inc. has released the Open Source Index (OSI) study conducted by Paul M.A. Baker, CACP, Professor Doug Noonan, School of Public Policy, and Nathan W. Moon, CACP researcher in the School of History Technology and Society. The index compares and contrasts open source activity and environments across 75 countries. The global growth of open source continues to increase across the private sector, government and individuals. The study measures open source using two separate indices: one for activity and another for environment.

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  • Getting Out the Vote: Assessing Technological, Social and Process Barriers to (e)Voting for People with Disabilities
    Date: November 2005

    This paper presents some of the preliminary findings of a pilot survey of voter satisfaction with the voting process, using manual and electronic voting and including voters with and without disabilities, to help assess and identify potential issues, barriers and opportunities that may impede the voting process for people with disabilities.

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  • Virtual Exclusion and Telework: The Double-edged Sword of Technocentric Workplace Accommodation Policy
    Date: September 2005

    Workplaces are complex social communities, in which social capital plays no small part (Burt 1995, Wellman, et. al, 1996). The productive and efficacious achievement of tasks (that is "doing work") frequently requires the flow of information and interactive engagement with coworkers. Given the current level of technology this could be somewhat problematic in a virtual work (teleworking) environment. From a policy standpoint, this leads to the question of "how can we design policy to facilitate the integration of people with disabilities into the workplace in such a way as to optimize their interactions with other workers?"

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